Ugandan routs stellar field

Wesley Bo on

– Brushing aside a glitch with the electronic timing system, Ugandan athlete Joshua Cheptegei was full of praise yesterday for the organisers of the inaugural FNB CitySurfRun 10km race.

Cheptegei ripped apart a worldclass field, storming home in 27:28 to set the fastest time ever run on African soil.

While 26:55 flashed up on the clock at the finish, indicating he had run the second fastest time in history, race referees later confirmed his official time was more than half a minute slower.

Nonetheless, Cheptegei broke the Ugandan national record and clipped 28 seconds off the 13-yearold SA all-comers’ best of 27:55.

“I like to run in Africa,” said Cheptegei, the World Championships 10 000m silver medallist.

“It feels good to run at home, and we showed today we can have the best races in the world in Africa.”

Fellow Ugandan athlete Stephen Kissa took second place in 28:04, after losing touch with his countryman in the second half, and Switzerland’s Julien Wanders finished third in 28:12.

Stephen Mokoka was the first South African man, clocking 28:34 in fourth place overall.

In the women’s race, 19-yearold Mercyline Chelangat also shattered the Ugandan national record to win in 31:37, completing the race 10 seconds ahead of Kenyan Paskalia Chepkorir.

Making a rare appearance on home soil, US-based athlete Dom Scott-Efurd was the first South African woman, taking fifth position in 33:26.

Meanwhile, on a busy day for SA road running, Irvette van Zyl won the sixth and final leg of the Spar Women’s Grand Prix 10km series in Joburg in 35:08.

Former track specialist Kesa Molotsane was second in 35:27 to secure the series title after a dominant maiden season on the road.

In Cape Town, David Manja won the Gun Run Half-Marathon in 1:04:36 after he was sent the wrong way and the results were adjusted, and Jenna Challenor took the women’s race in 1:17:40.

Durban